Keg - scented cleaner

[TheWiggman]

Before you jump on me, I borrowed a keg off a bloke who I've converted to AG. He said he bought it off someone second hand and has been in storage for up to a few years.
I opened it up and it had a lavender, perfumey type smell. I was a bit baffled but realised it must have been cleaned using a scented cleaner. I gave it a red-hot hit with non-scented napisan and a scrub. Filled it to the top and let it soak for a few days. Then, dropped it and put PBW in it used to clean out a brew. A good scrub again. Thorough rinses in between of course.
Smelt good.

I put an Aussie lager recipe in it and it's been kegged for about 8-10 weeks. There is a very faint lavender/ocean mist/morning fresh scent about it and it has a perfume 'tang' that while not obvious at first, can be detected expecially after a glass.

Not good enough for me, so I'm donating it back with about 17l in it. The lager is ok and I'm sure he'll be happy with it, but doesn't pass my standards.

Is this keg salvagable? Anyone had to battle scented cleaner contamination and won?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I made that mistake by accident cleaning a fermenter. Left a weird taste in the beer and was bloody hard to get rid of.

I think I ended up soaking in caustic soda in the end.

 

[manticle]

Did you flush tubes, remove poppets, etc? Every possible nook and cranny exposed, cleaned and rinsed?

 

[wynnum1]

Could it be the seals and not the keg that is holding the flavor and smell.

 

[MHB]

Yep - some flavours penetrate plastics and rubbers and then slowly elute back into the beer, try Sarsaparilla if you want to do a total small parts replacement on a keg, you cant get rid of it any other way.
Mark

 

[TheWiggman]

Thanks all.
I didn't fully strip it, no. I reconditioned one of his other kegs and didn't have enough parts for this one. Considering it's full of beer if he likes it he can finish it and will recommend the overhaul instructions as per above.

 

[TheWiggman]

Follow up: my mate finished the keg and cleaned it out afterwards. He kept the top O-ring. Bloody horrible (sort of), just completely smelled of lavender. You could smell it walking past the fridge it was sitting on. Crazy.
Checked all other rubber bits and they were all good. He replaced the O-ring and the smell isn't detectable any more. A win.